Threatening Dangers of Not Getting 8 Hours of Sleep

The importance of getting sufficient sleep hours at night is enormous because enough sleep doesn’t only keep you healthy; it also protects you from dangers of early death. In case you insist to stay up late every night, convince yourself by reading the following threatening dangers of being a night owl:

Messed Up Appetite Hormones

When you don’t get enough sleep, you get urges to overeat and put on pounds. This happens because with lack of sleep, the body produces a lot of a hormone called ghrelin that promotes hunger, and a little of a hormone called leptin that signals fullness. Such hormonal changes increase your appetite and make you burn fewer calories. In order to gain better control over your weight, get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.

Higher Risk of Breast Cancer A study conducted in Japan showed that women who had less than six hours of sleep a night got a 60% higher risk of breast cancer. Another study showed that sleep deprivation contributed to raising the risk of getting cancerous colorectal polyps to 47%.

A study made on individuals who suffer from type 2 diabetes showed that those who slept fewer hours at night had higher insulin resistance levels and fasting glucose levels. Moreover, women under sixty who slept less than 6 hours a night had twice the risk of encountering a heart disease.

Early Mortality

Sleep deprivation increases the risk of dying at a young age by a 1.7 fold. This goes for people who continuously sleep less than six hours of sleep every night and those who change their sleeping habits from 8 hours a night to 5 hours or less.

Tips on Getting Sufficient Sleep

You can increase the hours of sleep that you get by not drinking caffeinated or alcoholic drinks prior to sleep; specifying a certain time to go to bed every night; and practicing habits to release stress such as yoga.